Sound recording and reproducing instrument.



No. 663,l92. Patented Dec. 4, I900.

F. MYERS.

SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING INSTRUMENT.

(Application filed Aug. 1, lCCm 2 Sheats-$hect .I.

(No Nludal.)

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No. 663,192 Patentedfflec. t, [900. F. MYERS.

SOUND RECORDING AND REPRDDUCING INSTRUMENT.

7 (Application filed Aug. 1, 1900.; (NoMndeL) 2 Shaets Sheat 2.'

Tfi: NORRIS PETERS 60., Fuoruuma. wAskmaron, a c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MYERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE STYLOPHONE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 663,192. dated December 4, 1900.

I Application filed A t 1, 1900. serial No. 25,549. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: come into contact with each other when Be it known that I, FREDERICK MYERS, a packed for shipping, handling, or when not citizen of the United States, residing at New in use. This rim is intended to be left on the York city, in the county of New York and disk at all time, but is not connected thereto 55 State of New York, have invented certain by adhesive material or otherwise. This pronew and useful Improvements in Sound Retector may be made of a material somewhat cording and Reproducing Instruments; and more rigid in character than the disk in ordo declare the following to be a full, clear, der that any slight torsion or warping of the and exact description of the invention, such disk would not result in fatal distortion or 60 as will enable others skilled in the art to which breakage.

it appertains to make and use the same, refer- Another object is to provide a simple and encebeinghadtotheaccompanyingdrawings, efficient sound-box for this class of instruand to the figures of reference marked therements. on, which form a part of this specification. I attain the objects referred to by means of 65 V My invention relates to sound recording the construction illustrated in the accompaand reproducing instruments of the type denying drawings, in which+ signed to operate upon disk or tablet records; Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sound-reand the objects of the same are to provide reproducing instrument made in accordance liable and efficient means for imparting, si-. with myinventioiu Fig. l is a longitudinal 7o multaneous rotary motion and a lateral movesection of the feed-shaft and parts connected ment to the disk or tablet while the recorder, thereto. Fig. 2 is a delail or partial plan or reproduceris held inarelatively stationary view of the table upon which the instrument v position, the stylus having only the necesis supported. Fig. 3 is a central vertical secsary movement to record .or traverse the tion of the sound-box. Fig. 4 is a detail per- 75 grooves in the record. In the instruments of spective of a portion of the supporting-farm this type in common use a rotary motion is for the sound-box. Fig. 5 is a plan view of. given to the disk, while the reproducer is the record disk or tablet. Fig. 6 is a transmounted upon a pivoted arm and moves latverse vertical section thereof. Fig. 7 is a pererally across the face of the disk, the stylus spective view of the nut. 80 being free to move laterally in conformity Like numerals of reference designate like with the trend of the sound-grooves in the parts wherever they occur in the diiferent disk and having no positive movement imviews of the drawings. parted to it. Owing to the fact that the sty- The numeral 1 designates a table or stand lus is made to accomplish two widely-diiferfol-supporting the instrument, audZindicates 85 5 cut functions-feeditselfacross the disk and the legs for said table. A slot 3 is formed near reproduce the record-the wear upon the one end in said table for a purpose which point is considerable, requiring constant rewill hereinafter appear. Rising from the opnewals. By givingboth movements required posite ends of the table are the upright brackto the record any well-known type of reproets 4 4:, and passing through alined aper- 9o ducer or recorder may be used and far better tures in these brackets are the adjustable results attained both in quality of reproduccenters 5 5, held in adjustable positions by tion and in wearing qualities. Thus also any the set-screws 6 6. The feed-shaft 7 is prowell-known recorder may be used, as the two vided with a conical recess 7 in each end, and movements are given toa single partviz., the pointed ends of the centers 5 fit these re- 5 5 the disk or tablet record. cesses and reduce the friction of the bearing Another object of my invention is to proon said shaft. A longitudinal groove 7" eX- vide a record disk or tablet with a protecting tends from end to end of the shaft 7, and a rim or casing. This rim or casing is designed sleeeve 7 surrounds said shaft and revolves to fit the outer periphery of the disk and to with it, the set-screws 8 passing through the I00 extend a slight distance over the opposite sursleeve and their ends entering the groove 7. faces of said disk, so that said disks will not The feed'screw 9 is tubular in form and is firmly secured to the sleeve 7 by shrinking 15, which meshes with the bevel'gear 10. A collar 16, formed integrally with the bevelgear 15, projects upward to fit tightly within" a hub 17 of a face-plate 18. Apin 19 projects upward from the face-plate 18 through a bed-plate 20. The record -disk 21 has a central aperture which fits the spindle 14 and ahole through which the pin 19 projects.

The record is thus revolved by the bevel-gear tion for this purpose, fits up against the feedscrew 9 and may be provided with the usual carried thereby may be moved on the shaft 7, as is necessary at starting the instrument.

A ring or collar 23, held in place-on the sleeve 7 by one of the set-screws 8, prevents the collar 12 from sliding on said sleeve.

As thus far described, it will be understood that as the shaft 7 is revolved it rotatesthe sleeve 7 and with it the bevel-gear 10.. The nut 22 when in contact with the feed-screw 9 moves the sleeve 7 and the record-disk 21 horizontally inward on the shaft 7. When the nut 22 reaches the end of the feed-screw, the horizontal feed is stopped, as will be understood. two movements necessaryvil, a rotary 'mo-- tion on its axis and a gradual horizontal movement, depending upon the pitch of the feedscrew 9. The slot 3 and the guide-arm 13 hold the record-disk in a horizontal plane and at the same time permit a free movement of the record-disk when the nut 22 has been thrown out of contact with the feed-screw 9. By giving these two movements to the recorddisk I am enabled to use a stationary recorder or reproducer, and I provide a bracket 24, which projects over the record in position to carry the recorder or reproducer. In the outer end of the bracket 24 an aperture 25, Fig. 4, is formed, and properly seated in this aperture is the sound-box 26. A pivoted catch 27 on the bracket 24 serves to securely hold the sound-box in place in the aperture 25. The catch 27 may be swung up against the sound-box to hold it in place and may be swung outward to release said sound-box when it is desired to remove it.

The sound-box 26 comprises a casing 28, having a diaphragm 29 seated therein and a horn-nipple 30 superposed above said diaphragm. Secured centrally under the dia phragm isa sounder 31, consisting of a button connected to said diaphragm in any suit- A nut 22, which is of the usual construc- The record-disk is thus given the ablemanner, and a spring-shank 32 is secured to said button and curved outward from said button, the free end of said spring passing through a staple or keeper 33 upon the upper face of a weighted stylus arm or disk 34. This stylus arm or disk is pivoted at 35 to the casing 28, and at its opposite end the arm or disk is slotted to accommodate a set-screw 36, which serves to raise and lower the arm or disk 34 to set the stylus to the required height. The stylus 37 is firmly secured to the arm or disk 34. Alever 38, pivoted at the side of the aperture 25 of the bracket 24, is provided with a toe 39, which may be thrown up by a thumb-screw 40 to hold the arm or disk up to throw the stylus out of contact with the record. The boss or projection 41 is designed to form a bearing vfor the thumb-screw 40.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the record-disk 21 has a protector 42 surrounding its periphery. Thisprotector may be formed of papiermach, vulcanite, or thin sheet metal and consists of a bottom casing 43, having an upturned rim 44 and an upper cover or binding which fits snugly upon the rim 44 and has a projecting upper portion 45. The two parts of the protector hold the record-disk I firmly between them, but are not secured to said disk in any manner. The protector is not removed from the disk when the. latter is placed on the instrument; but if it is desired to have a record upon both sides of the disk the latter may be taken out of the protector and inverted. For the purpose of projecting the sound radially from the instrument I may mount a plurality of horns on the nipple 30 and revolve them during the operation of the instrument by a band or cord 46, suitably connected to a pulley driven by the motor.

'lhe motor may be. of any suitable kind, that shown being a spring-motor. The barrel 47 contains a spring of suitable length and gage, and upon one edge of the barrel a spur-gear 48 is formed or attached. This gear is connected to a suitable train of gears, which give the required rotary motion to the shaft 7. A governor 49 and a brake-disk 50 may be used to regulate the speed, the regulator-screw 51 serving to throw a brake-shoe against the disk 50, and a start-and-stop 1ever 52 bears against a lever to stop the motor and may be moved out of contact with said lever to start said motor.

By means of my construction the ordinary disk records may be reproduced by a recorder of ordinaryconstruction. In view of the fact that but little space is required to pack and care for the disk records they have become quite desirable, and when protected from injury by a casing or rim such as I have described one of the principal objections to their use is overcome.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A disk record havinga protector applied to the peripherythereof.

2. A disk record forsound-reproducing instruments having a protector which envelops the periphery of said disk, said protector c0nsisting of a two-part casing, one fitting within the other.

3. A protector for rec0rd-disks, consisting of a two-part casing, one of said partsinclosing the disk record, and the other part fitting over bot-h the disk and the casing.

4. Asound-box consisting of a casing, a diaphragm therein, a button secured to the diaphragm and having a spring-shank, and a weighted stylus lever having a keeper through which the spring-shank of the button freely extends.

5. A sound-box comprising a diaphragm, a button secured to said diaphragm and pro- FREDERICK MYERS.

Witnesses:

F. L. OU AND, GEORGE J. WEBER. 

